“And he said, ‘my cousin got murdered in the civil war and I’ve got no one to talk to about it’.”

It wasn’t the answer Gotch expected. It left him paralysed in its magnitude, as a feeling of powerlessness washed over him.

Civil war had torn through Uganda for more than 20 years. Now it had reached Adelaide.

“We sat down and talked to him and put him on to a counsellor,” Gotch recalls.

“He just needed someone to talk to.”

Irra left his extended family in Uganda when he was 11 years old.

He didn’t grow up dreaming of one day playing in the AFL — although that now looks likely after he was rookie listed at Port Adelaide on Monday. He didn’t even grow up dreaming of playing sport professionally. It wasn’t a primary concern when mouths had to be fed. It was a luxury.

Irra visited Uganda in December last year. It was the first time he had returned home since fleeing the country as a refugee with his parents and five siblings in 2005.

“To see all of my family members and what they do day-to-day, it was amazing. It’s two completely different worlds,” he says.

“It was really good to see that lifestyle. It made me more grateful for the opportunity that I have here.”

The return trip forged strong relationships between Irra and his family. But it also led to a deeper sense of despair when he discovered his cousin had died — even if he did his best to conceal it.

“It was quite amazing that he was dealing with all of that and still trying to play footy,” Gotch says.

“He always turned up. I really rated that.”

But footy wasn’t the only thing Irra was juggling.

When he wasn’t training at South Adelaide under the guidance of his coach, he was working to help feed his siblings.

And when he wasn’t working he was mentoring refugee children — kids in which he could see himself. He loves mentoring. Apart from footy, it’s what satisfies Irra the most.

“At the end of the day, I run around for three or four hours, come in and have a good lunch and then go around again,” Irra says.

“It’s a pretty lucky life I get to live. That job really made me realise it, especially now I’ve been given this chance to play AFL.”

media_cameraBrad Gotch has been like a father figure for Emmanuel Irra. Picture: MATT LOXTON

But it’s a chance Irra has had to work incredibly hard for.

A gifted athlete who was part of the AIS Academy in his draft year, there were huge expectations he would land at and AFL club. He was overlooked.

When he arrived at South Adelaide in 2014 he faced similar challenges. He couldn’t break into the seniors. He wasn’t fit enough. And his mental strength, at times, wavered.

But he was determined to improve. So he sat down with Gotch and mapped out a holistic approach to make him into the best footballer he could be. They caught up weekly and watched his tape. And in the process they became great friends.

“Brad has been awesome. He’s been like a father figure to me. He’s been fantastic for my football, especially this year,” Irra says.

“I’m able to have a chat to him about any issues in my life. He knows me better than anyone at the footy club and I’m just grateful for the lessons he has taught me. He’s driven me over the past three or four years to this point now.”

Gotch won’t be in Adelaide to continue his unique relationship with Irra next season, however. The former Fitzroy and St Kilda player was appointed to the position of Collingwood’s academy coach last month. A move back home to Melbourne beckons.

But Gotch says he’s only a phone call away. And he hopes to hear it ring. Often.

“I’m always there for him because I’ve got a real soft spot for him and so does my wife, Michelle,” he says.

“We’ve taken to him and appreciate his background and what he’s done and the values he stands for.”

They’re the kind of values that will endear himself to the players and staff at Port Adelaide. He’s committed, steadfast and prepared to work as hard as humanly possible to crack into Port’s best 22.

He may be the first Ugandan to get on to an AFL list, but Irra wants to make history by playing.

And while he intimated he’s just like every other player, he’s aware his story is coloured by his journey from Africa to Australia.

“For me it’s not so important where I come from, but I’m very proud of my heritage,” Irra says.

“Being from a different heritage is obviously something I hold closely and something which drives me to be a better player.”